Presort PWS draft.docx
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- Solicitation number
- 36C25626Q0491
About this file
This is a Performance Work Statement (PWS) for daily mail presort services at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. The contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, transportation, equipment, and materials necessary to pick up metered mail Monday through Friday (excluding federal holidays) from the VA facility, presort and barcode mail in compliance with USPS Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) requirements and latest Domestic Mail Manual standards, and deliver presorted mail to USPS the same business day. The VA processes approximately 9,000 letters, 1,600 first-class flats, and 500 parcels weekly, with 95% destined for Shreveport-based locations. The contractor must furnish all equipment and facilities for pickup, barcoding, presorting, and delivery; provide minimum daily pickup during standard business hours (no earlier than 10:00 AM); implement address correction using USPS-approved methods; return undeliverable or mutilated mail within one business day; and submit weekly written reports detailing items processed, mutilated items, special service costs, postage used, and PS 3600-R copies.
The contract includes stringent security and confidentiality requirements given the mail contains Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Contractor personnel must comply with all VA information security and privacy requirements, protect vehicles during transport, immediately report lost or stolen mail in writing, and maintain secure facilities. The contractor must execute a Business Associate Agreement if applicable, complete VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness training annually, sign the VA Rules of Behavior, and report security incidents to VA OIT's Enterprise Service Desk within one hour. The Period of Performance runs from May 3, 2026 through May 2, 2031, comprising a base year plus four one-year option years. Invoicing shall be submitted monthly via the Tungsten Network electronic invoicing system within 15 calendar days after the end of each billing period, with postage costs deducted from a USPS Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) account established at the appropriate post office.
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“Performance Work Statement” Overton Brooks VA Medical Center 510 E Stoner Ave.
Shreveport, LA 71101
1. PURPOSE OF CONTRACT
Overton Brooks VA Medical Center of Shreveport requires contracted daily mail presort services with Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) marking on mail that complies with USPS presort and barcode marking requirements, allowing the VA to obtain the most cost-effective postage rates on mail while supporting the VA Mission. Services will be performed for the Period of Performance and at locations identified in this PWS.
2. BACKGROUND
Overton Brooks VAMC actively serves over 65,000 Veterans in Louisiana. Patient and business communications include an average of 9,000 letters (“letters”), 1,600 First Class flats (“flats”), and 500 parcels (“parcels”) per week. Letters and flats are of the dimensions specified in USPS regulations. Small parcels include packages of varying sizes and weights, but typically less than 5 pounds per mail item. Approximately 95% of the mail items to be processed under this contract are for Shreveport-based locations. The remaining 5% is mixed mail.
3. SCOPE OF WORK
3.1 General Overview
The Contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, transportation, equipment, and materials necessary to perform daily presort mail services for Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (OBVAMC) in accordance with the requirements outlined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS) and all applicable VA and USPS regulations.
3.2 Specific Tasks
(a) The VA shall sort outgoing mail into bins or tubs by category (letters, flats, parcels). Each mail piece shall be sealed and metered by the VA at the current USPS automated rates, subject to change in accordance with USPS updates.
(b) The Contractor shall pick up metered mail from designated OBVAMC locations at mutually agreed-upon times, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays, or as otherwise scheduled by the COR. The Contractor shall provide all necessary transportation, labor, and equipment for secure pick-up and delivery to USPS.
(c) The Contractor shall presort and barcode all eligible mail in compliance with the latest USPS presort and Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb) requirements to maximize cost-effective postage rates.
(d) The Contractor shall deliver all presorted mail to the USPS on the same business day as pick-up. No representation is made as to the volume of mail qualifying for presort rates. The Contractor shall process all mail in accordance with industry standards and shall not provide any warranties beyond those specified in this PWS.
3.3 Compliance and Documentation
(a) Both the VA and the Contractor shall comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, USPS regulations, and VA policies. The VA will promptly execute any documentation required by USPS.
(b) The Contractor shall return all undeliverable or mutilated mail to OBVAMC on the next business day after collection.
(c) The Contractor shall provide a weekly written report to the COR detailing the number of items processed, mutilated/unreadable items returned, costs for special services, postage used, and copies of PS 3600-R for each day within the invoice period.
3.4 Security and Confidentiality
(a) All OBVAMC mail contains Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and must be protected from unauthorized access or disclosure. Contractor personnel must comply with all VA information security and privacy requirements. Contractor vehicles must be secured during transport.
(b) Any lost or stolen mail must be reported in writing to the COR immediately, including the date/time, location, number of items missing, and actions taken to recover the mail.
3.5 Contractor Furnished Equipment
The Contractor shall furnish all facilities, equipment, materials, and labor required to meet the requirements of this contract, including pick-up, barcoding, presorting, and delivery to the USPS.
3.6 Quality Assurance
The VA reserves the right to inspect and audit Contractor performance at any time to ensure compliance with this PWS, VA regulations, and USPS standards.
4. AUTHORITY OF THE COR
The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to approve changes in any of the requirements of this contract. In the event the Contractor makes any changes at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the changes will be considered to have been made without authority, and no adjustment will be made in the contract price or schedule to cover any increase in costs incurred as a result thereof. The Contracting Officer shall be the only individual authorized to accept nonconforming work, waive any requirement of the contract, and/or modify any term or condition of the contract. The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally obligate Government funds. No costs chargeable to the proposed contract can be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract or specific authorization from the Contracting Officer. Oral orders may be placed by the COR directly with the Contractor’s Representative, followed by written* confirmation from both parties prior to the service commencing, and only for services, quantities, and periods within the scope of this PWS and Price/Cost Schedule. (Written confirmation does not include cell phone text messages for ordering.)
5. Government Alternate Points of Contact (POC) – Emergencies Only
The COR will identify Alternate Points of Contact (POC) to be used only in emergencies when the COR is not easily contactable. These will be individuals in supervisory or managerial roles within the same department as the COR. The contractor will be provided with this information within 5 days after contract award and within 48 hours of a change to this information. An Alternate POC does not replace the COR nor do they replace the Contracting Officer during the performance and administration of this contract, nor do they relinquish or diminish the Contractor’s requirements in relation to the performance of this Contract.
6. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SPECIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
The Contractor will never become involved with the content of the mail and must never access internal contents of mail processed as part of the services in this PWS.
Contractor must ensure each Requirement and each Desired Outcome listed in this PWS is satisfied and that Constraints are honored and respected. If the contractor has any conflicts or challenges with these, they should consult the COR or CO.
The Contractor will pick up the VA’s metered first-class mail at the agreed time.
Monday through Friday at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, 510 East Stoner, Shreveport, LA,71101, at VA’s designated location(s) except on holidays observed by the VA. The V.A. will prepare the mail in accordance with this statement of work. The pick- up schedule may be changed by mutual agreement.
The Contractor will sort this mail at their facility at qualifying automated presort rates and deliver it to the United States Postal Service the same day it is picked up. No representation is made as to the amount of the VA’s mail that will qualify for automated presort mailing rates. The Contractor will perform this service under this statement of work in accordance with accepted mail processing industry standards. The Contractor makes no other expressed or implied warranties regarding its performance. The Contractor agrees that time is of the essence with respect to each provision in which time is a factor.
7. SAFETY AND SECURITY
1. GENERAL
This entire section applies to all acquisitions requiring any Information Security and Privacy language.
Contractors, contractor personnel, subcontractors and subcontractor personnel will be subject to the same federal laws, regulations, standards, VA directives and handbooks, as VA personnel regarding information and information system security and privacy.
2. VA INFORMATION CUSTODIAL LANGUAGE.
This entire section applies to all acquisitions requiring any Information Security and Privacy language.
1. The Government shall receive unlimited rights to data/intellectual property first produced and delivered in the performance of this contract or order (hereinafter “contract”) unless expressly stated otherwise in this contract. This includes all rights to source code and all documentation created in support thereof. The primary clause used to define Government and Contractor data rights is FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data – General. The primary clause used to define computer software license (not data/intellectual property first produced under this contractor or order) is FAR 52.227-19, Commercial Computer Software License.
1. Information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract will be used only for the purposes specified in the service agreement, SOW, PWS, PD, and/or contract. The contractor shall not use VA information in any other manner without prior written approval from a VA Contracting Officer (CO). The primary clause used to define Government and Contractor data rights is FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data – General.
1. VA information will not be co-mingled with any other data on the contractor’s information systems or media storage systems. The contractor shall ensure compliance with Federal and VA requirements related to data protection, data encryption, physical data segregation, logical data segregation, classification requirements and media sanitization.
1. VA reserves the right to conduct scheduled or unscheduled audits, assessments, or investigations of contractor Information Technology (IT) resources to ensure information security is compliant with Federal and VA requirements. The contractor shall provide all necessary access to records (including electronic and documentary materials related to the contracts and subcontracts) and support (including access to contractor and subcontractor staff associated with the contract) to VA, VA's Office Inspector General (OIG), and/or Government Accountability Office (GAO) staff during periodic control assessments, audits, or investigations.
1. The contractor may only use VA information within the terms of the contract and applicable Federal law, regulations, and VA policies. If new Federal information security laws, regulations or VA policies become applicable after execution of the contract, the parties agree to negotiate contract modification and adjustment necessary to implement the new laws, regulations, and/or policies.
1. The contractor shall not make copies of VA information except as specifically authorized and necessary to perform the terms of the contract. If copies are made for restoration purposes, after the restoration is complete, the copies shall be destroyed in accordance with VA Directive 6500, VA Cybersecurity Program and VA Information Security Knowledge Service.
1. If a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) contract is terminated for default or cause with a business associate, the related local Business Associate Agreement (BAA) shall also be terminated and actions taken in accordance with VHA Directive 1605.05, Business Associate Agreements. If there is an executed national BAA associated with the contract, VA will determine what actions are appropriate and notify the contactor.
1. The contractor shall store and transmit VA sensitive information in an encrypted form, using VA-approved encryption tools which are, at a minimum, Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2, Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules (or its successor) validated and in conformance with VA Information Security Knowledge Service requirements. The contractor shall transmit VA sensitive information using VA approved Transport Layer Security (TLS) configured with FIPS based cipher suites in conformance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-52, Guidelines for the Selection, Configuration and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations.
1. The contractor’s firewall and web services security controls, as applicable, shall meet or exceed VA’s minimum requirements.
1. Except for uses and disclosures of VA information authorized by this contract for performance of the contract, the contractor may use and disclose VA information only in two situations: (i) in response to a qualifying order of a court of competent jurisdiction after notification to VA CO (ii) with written approval from the VA CO. The contractor shall refer all requests for, demands for production of or inquiries about, VA information and information systems to the VA CO for response.
1. Notwithstanding the provision above, the contractor shall not release VA records protected by Title 38 U.S.C. § 5705, Confidentiality of medical quality-assurance records and/or Title 38 U.S.C. § 7332, Confidentiality of certain medical records pertaining to drug addiction, sickle cell anemia, alcoholism or alcohol abuse or infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). If the contractor is in receipt of a court order or other requests for the above-mentioned information, the contractor shall immediately refer such court order or other requests to the VA CO for response.
1. Information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor in performance or administration of the contract will be protected and secured in accordance with VA Directive 6500 and Identity and Access Management (IAM) Security processes specified in the VA Information Security Knowledge Service.
1. Any data destruction done on behalf of VA by a contractor shall be done in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements as outlined in VA Directive 6300, Records and Information Management, VA Handbook 6300.1, Records Management Procedures, and applicable VA Records Control Schedules.
1. The contractor shall provide its plan for destruction of all VA data in its possession according to VA Directive 6500 and NIST 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization prior to termination or completion of this contract. If directed by the COR/CO, the contractor shall return all Federal Records to VA for disposition.
1. Any media, such as paper, magnetic tape, magnetic disks, solid state devices or optical discs that is used to store, process, or access VA information that cannot be destroyed shall be returned to VA.The contractor shall hold the appropriate material until otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or CO. Items shall be returned securely via VA-approved methods. VA sensitive information must be transmitted utilizing VA-approved encryption tools which are validated under FIPS 140-2 (or its successor) and NIST 800-52. If mailed, the contractor shall send via a trackable method (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.) and immediately provide the COR/CO with the tracking information. Self-certification by the contractor that the data destruction requirements above have been met shall be sent to the COR/CO within 30 business days of termination of the contract.
1. All electronic storage media (hard drives, optical disks, CDs, back-up tapes, etc.) used to store, process or access VA information will not be returned to the contractor at the end of lease, loan, or trade-in. Exceptions to this paragraph will only be granted with the written approval of the VA CO.
3. ACCESS TO VA INFORMATION AND VA INFORMATION SYSTEMS.
This section applies when any person requires access to information made available to the contractor by VA for the performance or administration of this contract or information developed by the contractor in performance or administration of the contract.
1. A contractor/subcontractor shall request logical (technical) or physical access to VA information and VA information systems for their employees and subcontractors only to the extent necessary to perform the services specified in the solicitation or contract. This includes indirect entities, both affiliate of contractor/subcontractor and agent of contractor/subcontractor.
1. Contractors and subcontractors shall sign the VA Information Security Rule of Behavior (ROB) before access is provided to VA information and information systems (see Section 4, Training, below). The ROB contains the minimum user compliance requirements and does not supersede any policies of VA facilities or other agency components which provide higher levels of protection to VA’s information or information systems. Users who require privileged access shall complete the VA elevated privilege access request processes before privileged access is granted.
1. All contractors and subcontractors working with VA information are subject to the same security investigative and clearance requirements as those of VA appointees or employees who have access to the same types of information. The level and process of background security investigations for contractors shall be in accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 0710, Personnel Suitability and Security Program. The Office of Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) is responsible for these policies and procedures. Contract personnel who require access to classified information or information systems shall have an appropriate security clearance. Verification of a Security Clearance shall be processed through the Special Security Officer located in HRA/OSP. Contractors shall conform to all requirements stated in the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM).
1. All contractors and subcontractors shall comply with conditions specified in VAAR 852.204-71(d); Contractor operations required to be in United States. All contractors and subcontractors working with VA information must be permanently located within a jurisdiction subject to the law of the United States or its Territories to the maximum extent feasible. If services are proposed to be performed abroad the contractor must state where all non-U.S. services are provided. The contractor shall deliver to VA a detailed plan specifically addressing communications, personnel control, data protection and potential legal issues. The plan shall be approved by the COR/CO in writing prior to access being granted.
1. The contractor shall notify the COR/CO in writing immediately (no later than 24 hours) after personnel separation or occurrence of other causes. Causes may include the following:
0. Contractor/subcontractor personnel no longer has a need for access to VA information or VA information systems.
0. Contractor/subcontractor personnel are terminated, suspended, or otherwise has their work on a VA project discontinued for any reason.
0. Contractor believes their own personnel or subcontractor personnel may pose a threat to their company’s working environment or to any company-owned property. This includes contractor-owned assets, buildings, confidential data, customers, employees, networks, systems, trade secrets and/or VA data.
0. Any previously undisclosed changes to contractor/subcontractor background history are brought to light, including but not limited to changes to background investigation or employee record.
0. Contractor/subcontractor personnel have their authorization to work in the United States revoked.
0. Agreement by which contractor provides products and services to VA has either been fulfilled or terminated, such that VA can cut off electronic and/or physical access for contractor personnel.
1. In such cases of contract fulfillment, termination, or other causes; the contractor shall take the necessary measures to immediately revoke access to VA network, property, information, and information systems (logical and physical) by contractor/subcontractor personnel. These measures include (but are not limited to): removing and then securing Personal Identity Verification (PIV) badges and PIV – Interoperable (PIV-I) access badges, VA-issued photo badges, credentials for VA facilities and devices, VA-issued laptops, and authentication tokens. Contractors shall notify the appropriate VA COR/CO immediately to initiate access removal.
1. Contractors/subcontractors who no longer require VA accesses will return VA-issued property to VA. This property includes (but is not limited to): documents, electronic equipment, keys, and parking passes. PIV and PIV-I access badges shall be returned to the nearest VA PIV Badge Issuance Office. Once they have had access to VA information, information systems, networks and VA property in their possessions removed, contractors shall notify the appropriate VA COR/CO.
4. TRAINING.
1. All contractors and subcontractors requiring access to VA information and VA information systems shall successfully complete the following before being granted access to VA information and its systems:
1. VA Privacy and Information Security Awareness and Rules of Behavior course (Talent Management System (TMS) #10176) initially and annually thereafter.
1. Sign and acknowledge (electronically through TMS #10176) understanding of and responsibilities for compliance with the Organizational Rules of Behavior, relating to access to VA information and information systems initially and annually thereafter; and
1. Successfully complete any additional cyber security or privacy training, as required for VA personnel with equivalent information system or information access [to be defined by the VA program official and provided to the VA CO for inclusion in the solicitation document – i.e., any role-based information security training].
1. The contractor shall provide to the COR/CO a copy of the training certificates and certification of signing the Organizational Rules of Behavior for each applicable employee within five days of the initiation of the contract and annually thereafter, as required.
1. Failure to complete the mandatory annual training is grounds for suspension or termination of all physical or electronic access privileges and removal from work on the contract until such time as the required training is complete.
5. SECURITY INCIDENT INVESTIGATION.
This entire section applies to all acquisitions requiring any Information Security and Privacy language.
1. The contractor, subcontractor, their employees, or business associates shall immediately (within one hour) report suspected security / privacy incidents to the VA OIT’s Enterprise Service Desk (ESD) by calling (855) 673-4357 (TTY: 711). The ESD is OIT’s 24/7/365 single point of contact for IT-related issues. After reporting to the ESD, the contractor, subcontractor, their employees, or business associates shall, within one hour, provide the COR/CO the incident number received from the ESD
1. To the extent known by the contractor/subcontractor, the contractor/ subcontractor's notice to VA shall identify the information involved and the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the following:
1. The date and time (or approximation of) the Security Incident occurred.
1. The names of individuals involved (when applicable).
1. The physical and logical (if applicable) location of the incident.
1. Why the Security Incident took place (i.e., catalyst for the failure).
1. The amount of data belonging to VA believed to have been compromised.
1. The remediation measures the contractor is taking to ensure no future incidents of a similar nature.
1. After the contractor has provided the initial detailed incident summary to VA, they will continue to provide written updates on any new and relevant circumstances or facts they discover. The contractor, subcontractor, and their employes shall fully cooperate with VA or third-party entity performing an independent risk analysis on behalf of VA. Failure to cooperate may be deemed a material breach and grounds for contract termination.
1. VA IT contractors shall follow VA Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems VA Information Security Program, and VA Information Security Knowledge Service guidance for implementing an Incident Response Plan or integrating with an existing VA implementation.
1. In instances of theft or break-in or other criminal activity, the contractor/subcontractor must concurrently report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement entity (or entities) of jurisdiction, including the VA OIG, and the VA Office of Security and Law Enforcement. The contractor, its employees, and its subcontractors and their employees shall cooperate with VA and any law enforcement authority responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible criminal law violation(s) associated with any incident. The contractor/subcontractor shall cooperate with VA in any civil litigation to recover VA information, obtain monetary or other compensation from a third party for damages arising from any incident, or obtain injunctive relief against any third party arising from, or related to, the incident.
1. The contractor shall comply with VA Handbook 6500.2, Management of Breaches Involving Sensitive Personal Information, which establishes the breach management policies and assigns responsibilities for the oversight, management and reporting procedures associated with managing of breaches.
1. With respect to unsecured Protected Health Information (PHI), the contractor is deemed to have discovered a data breach when the contractor knew or should have known of breach of such information. When a business associate is part of VHA contract, notification to the covered entity (VHA) shall be made in accordance with the executed BAA.
1. If the contractor or any of its agents fails to protect VA sensitive personal information or otherwise engages in conduct which results in a data breach involving any VA sensitive personal information the contractor/subcontractor processes or maintains under the contract; the contractor shall pay liquidated damages to the VA as set forth in clause 852.211-76, Liquidated Damages—Reimbursement for Data Breach Costs.
REFERENCE (S):
1. VA Affairs Handbook 6500, Risk Management Framework for VA Information Systems – Tier 3: VA Information Security Program, 10 Mar 2015.
2. Veterans Health Administration Procurement Manual (VHA PM) – 11/3/2014.
3. VA Handbook 1901.01, Health Information Management and Health Records – 19 Mar 15.
4. VHA Handbook 1605.5, Business Associate Agreements – 22 July 2014
5. Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a).
Check In/Out Procedures Before commencement of, and immediately after each service visit, the Contractor or Contractor’s authorized Personnel must check in and out with the COR. Only individual VA Mail Room staff at the VA Location, and as delegated in writing by the COR, can coordinate check-in and check-out procedures for the Contractor in the absence of the COR.
· Mail, for this contract, consists of (“letter”), First Class flats (“flats”), and parcels.
Report Information The contractor will provide a weekly, written report which includes, as a minimum, the following information pertaining to the previous week’s services. Each report must be submitted to the COR within five business days following completion of the previous week’s services.
· Number of mutilated/unreadable items returned to the Overton Brooks VAMC.
· Costs for encoding or any special services provided.
· Copies of PS 3600-R for each day during the invoice period.
· Total amount of postage used.
| DESIRED OUTCOME |
| CONSTRAINTS |
MAIL SERVICES
| 1. Presort Services |
| The Contractor will process Overton Brooks VAMC mail to qualify for the lowest USPS presort mail rates. |
| All barcode marking and presort operations shall be in accordance with the latest United States Postal regulations and with the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). |
| 1. IMpb Marking |
| The Contractor will provide IMpb Marking on each parcel or package and process the mail to ensure the lowest possible USPS Rates and adherence to USPS standards for Intelligent Mail Parcel Barcode. |
| a. All barcode marking and presort operations shall be in accordance with the latest United States Postal regulations and with the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). |
| 1. Mail Pickup |
| The contractor shall provide a minimum of one daily pickup during Standard Business Hours and Days, no earlier than 10:00 AM local time. |
a. The Overton Brooks VAMC designated COR will be provided with the pickup schedule.
b. Changes to the regularly scheduled pickup time will be coordinated and agreed upon by both the COR and contractor. The contractor will be notified at least one week in advance of any peak workload periods.
8. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS CONSTRAINTS
CAPS Account The Centralized Account Processing System (CAPS) is a USPS electronic postage payment system designed to make payment for all classes of mail easier and more cost-effective. A CAPS account will be set up with the appropriate Post Office to deduct daily postage. The Overton Brooks VAMC will not issue postage funds directly to the Contractor.
Address Correction and Marking Contractor must provide address correction using one of the USPS-approved methods (https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=moveupdate) to comply with US Postal Service Move Update requirements. All presort mail shall be processed, sprayed with a barcode representing the “Zip+4” zip code, presorted, and released to the US Post Office on the same day it is released from Overton Brooks VAMC. The bar-coded “Zip+4” zip code must match the street, city, and state address. The contractor must ensure the final bar-coded and presorted mail product complies with the latest USPS requirements and standards.
Information Protection Overton Brooks VAMC mail contains Personally Identifiable Information (PII) that must be protected from unauthorized disclosure. The contractor site must be secure to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing the Overton Brooks VAMC mail. All Contractor vehicles must be closed and secured during transport and when unattended mail is on board. Any lost or stolen mail must be reported in writing to the COR as soon as the mail is discovered missing. The report must identify the following:
Date and Time loss identified:
· Location of loss (address, place of business, etc.):
· Number of items missing:
· Actions taken by the Vendor to locate or recover items:
9. MEDICAL CENTER POLICIES
Each VA Health Care System has policies that are updated from time to time. The COR can provide more detailed information to the contractor upon contract commencement and throughout the term, as needed, including policies and constraints regarding parking, possession of weapons, cell phone use, photography, and smoking on VA property. Violations of such policies may result in individual fines or citation answerable in the United States (Federal) District Court.
10. CONTRACTOR FURNISHED EQUIPMENT / PROPERTY (CFE / CFP)
The contractor shall furnish all facilities, equipment, materials, and labor required to meet the requirements of this contract, which shall include, but are not limited to, pick up, barcoding, presorting mail and delivery to the Post Office.
All undeliverable or mutilated mail pieces must be returned to the Overton Brooks VAMC by the contractor upon collection of mail on the following Standard Business Day.
11. CONTRACTOR POINT OF CONTACT (POC)
The contractor shall specify an individual who shall serve as a single point of contact, including phone and email, as a minimum.
12. STANDARD BUSINESS HOURS AND FEDERAL HOLIDAYS
VA Health Care System standard operating hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday, excluding Federal holidays, unless by special alternate arrangement coordinated and authorized by the COR.
The Federal Government observes the following days as holidays.
| New Year’s Day |
| January 1st* |
| Martin Luther King’s Birthday |
| Third Monday in January |
| Presidents Day |
| Third Monday in February |
| Memorial Day |
| Last Monday in May |
| Independence Day |
| July 4th* |
| Labor Day |
| First Monday in September |
| JuneTeenth |
| June 19th* |
| Columbus Day |
| Second Monday in October |
| Veterans’ Day |
| November 11th* |
| Thanksgiving Day |
| Fourth Thursday in November |
| Christmas Day |
| December 25th* |
Holidays that fall on Saturday are observed on the preceding Friday. Holidays that fall on a Sunday are observed on the following Monday.
In addition to the days designated as holidays, the Government observes the following days:
· Any other day designated by Federal Statute
· Any other day designated by Executive Order
· Any other day designated by the President of the United States to be a Federal holiday
13. INVOICING AND PAYMENT
The Contractor shall submit invoices directly to the Austin Finance Center via the Tungsten Network electronic invoicing system (or similar procedure if the government changes its invoicing and payment system). Invoices shall be submitted monthly, with only one invoice per month, each including separate line items for each piece of equipment or service provided under the contract. The invoice shall be provided within 15 calendar days after the end of each established period.
billing period, but no earlier than the day after the last day of the billing period (monthly), and shall contain:
· Vendor name, invoice number, and date
· Vendor Identification Number (Tax ID)
· Remittance address (address where the payment is to be issued)
· Complete the purchase order number assigned by the VA facility and place the order for goods or services.
· Itemized description of goods or services, dates of services provided, quantity, and unit price
· Total dollar amount of the invoice
· Discount or net terms
14. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
Period of Performance: Refer to Price/Cost Schedule Base Year: 05/03/2026 – 05/02/2027 Option Year 1: 05/03/2027 – 05/02/2028 Option Year 2: 05/03/2028 – 05/02/2029 Option Year 3: 05/03/2029 – 05/02/2030 Option Year 4: 05/03/2030 – 05/02/2031
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .